Thought it was just you? Did you know that 74% of people are anxious about speaking in public?1
Language is our unique gift as humans, it is what allows us to connect to others in a meaningful way and enables us to express our needs, desires and feelings.
Case Study: How words can change lives!
Issue: Just over a year ago a client came to see me who was in the process of going through a number of life changing decisions, Jill was 56 and felt her life was at a crossroads.
Jill was uncertain as to where her life was going, her relationship with her husband was changing, her children were now older and finding their own way in life… Jill was reflecting on what her life going forward would be like.
Goal: Jill’s aim was to be able to manage herself with confidence through this transition and to be able to express herself in a clear and thoughtful manner to her family and to others.
Emotion: As we went through the challenges Jill faced, the theme of “dread” surfaced. When we explored what the word dread meant to her she explained that she had a great apprehension when it came to public speaking, this was an ongoing issue for Jill as she was required to regularly present her ideas in group situations at work.
Realisation: When Jill was seven she recalled one time when she felt powerless and anxious at school when she had to stand up and speak in class.
Jill also recalled an incident when she was thirteen that made her seethe. She approached her Father who was standing with a group of other adults and said something inappropriate to the group. She doesn’t remember exactly what she said, but she definitely remembers his response; a slap across the face and being told to stop speaking.
Her decision then and there was that it was safer to keep her mouth shut…a decision that carried on into adulthood.
Impact: Following our session Jill was excited to tell me she had commenced a public speaking course and has subsequnetly gone on to teach public speaking to others.
I so admire Jill’s bravery, to explore her past and face her vulnerabilities and to have the courage to take on something new even in the face of the “dread” that she had previously felt towards it.
Looking at her past from an adult perspective allowed her to join the dots between these incidents and move on.
GO JILL!!!
Leora Katranski Kinesiology Melbourne
Need some help finding direction to create a life you love?
Kinesiology is gentle and non-invasive.
Check out my page: www.lkkinesiology.com.au
1.National Institute of mental Health 2016
